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Sevenoaks split season ticket

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Alessandra

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hello there,
I'll be moving to Sevenoaks soon and read on internet about the epic New Cross loophole.
I'm going to buy an annual season ticket and wondering if buying split tickets is actually against the rules.
I've found some topic on the web but no one ever confirmed if it's actually legal to do that, I called SouthEastern train to hear what their take about the topic was, the guy told me it's illegal because I should be stopping at NewCross and get off onto the next train.
When I told him that the train doesn't actually stop but only run through New Cross he didn't know what to say. so no help from him.

Has anyone here bought a split ticket to commute from Sevenoaks to Waterloo east?
Can they throw me off the train If I get caught? :D

thank you!!
 
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alistairlees

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It's fine to do this. Southeastern were wrong. It's a well-known loophole on this route and the guards will all be aware. The National Rail Conditions of Travel explicitly allow two seasons to be used together, without the need for the train to call at the break point.
 
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alistairlees

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Alessandra

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that's great, I'm happy to take advantage of the loophole as long as I'm not doing anything illegal.

I've found strange that the staff on the phone still hasn't been briefed about the loophole.....
 
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Alessandra

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alistairlees said:
I've posted this link before (you may have seen it)
https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/reporter-tried-buy-season-ticket-1013222

You could also read:
https://srta.org.uk/wp/posts/2843

Just be aware that, with this split, you cannot go via Bat & Ball / Swanley / Bromley and into Blackfriars that way.

But to London Bridge, Waterloo East, Charing Cross, Cannon Street, Blackfriars and City Thameslink your split will be fine - providing you have come via New Cross.
Click to expand...

thanks for the links Alistairlees!
yes my journey would end at either Waterloo east or Cannon st.
 
paul1609

paul1609

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Maybe I'm missing something here but surely the split season ticket doesnt exist from Sevenoaks?
The cheapest season for the OP would be a Sevenoaks to London terminals ticket.
A Sevenoaks to New cross ticket plus a Zone 1 and 2 travelcard would work out the same price as a Sevenoaks to Zone 1 to 6 travelcard but without validity in zones 3 to 6.
 
30907

30907

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paul1609 said:
Maybe I'm missing something here but surely the split season ticket doesnt exist from Sevenoaks?
The cheapest season for the OP would be a Sevenoaks to London terminals ticket.
A Sevenoaks to New cross ticket plus a Zone 1 and 2 travelcard would work out the same price as a Sevenoaks to Zone 1 to 6 travelcard but without validity in zones 3 to 6.
Click to expand...
According to BRFares the split is £87.70 weekly, 20p more than the London Not Und season, while a 1-6 TC is £104.xx. Have I misread it?
If the OP wants validity in Central London rather than choice of route TO London, the split seems a very good deal.
 
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leshuttle

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On a related note I'm looking into a similar split but traveling further out from Tonbridge on Southeastern going to Barbican (Zone 1) plus some occasional tube use to the West End or elsewhere within Z1 after work. I estimated around £280 saving on the annual season ticket if I split at New Cross. My question is do I get a paper season ticket + Oyster/The Key for this combination or just all paper tickets?

Also - for Southeastern's The Key is that valid for all stations via Redhill to New Cross in the same way a paper ticket would be?
 
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bionic

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At weekends there is routinely engineering work on the Sevenoaks line that diverts trains via Bromley South into Victoria. Similar happens from Tonbridge with trains diverted via Redhill. In these situations when a planned diversion does not pass through New Cross, would the New Cross split ticket still be valid or would the holder be expected to use the rail replacement buses provided to get to New Cross?
 
ForTheLoveOf

ForTheLoveOf

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leshuttle said:
On a related note I'm looking into a similar split but traveling further out from Tonbridge on Southeastern going to Barbican (Zone 1) plus some occasional tube use to the West End or elsewhere within Z1 after work. I estimated around £280 saving on the annual season ticket if I split at New Cross. My question is do I get a paper season ticket + Oyster/The Key for this combination or just all paper tickets?

Also - for Southeastern's The Key is that valid for all stations via Redhill to New Cross in the same way a paper ticket would be?
Click to expand...
Personally, I would go for paper tickets. Whilst they do usually wear out and fade (or, more annoyingly, stop working barriers!) after some months of use, there can be no question that you are in breach of any requirement to touch in and out which might be attempted to be put on the use of a smartcard. The same simply doesn't apply with paper tickets. Equally, if you even have to ask whether a smartcard is valid 'off route' that puts me straight towards getting paper tickets. With paper tickets it's merely a question of whether it is a valid route, and not whether the TOCs there accept my ticket's format!
 
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leshuttle

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bionic said:
At weekends there is routinely engineering work on the Sevenoaks line that diverts trains via Bromley South into Victoria. Similar happens from Tonbridge with trains diverted via Redhill. In these situations when a planned diversion does not pass through New Cross, would the New Cross split ticket still be valid or would the holder be expected to use the rail replacement buses provided to get to New Cross?
Click to expand...

I've found this happens a lot less now that the works at London Bridge are done. If diverted via Redhill, which it still can be occasionally, this goes via New Cross Gate so wouldn't it still be valid to use a New Cross split this way if they're grouped stations?
 
maniacmartin

maniacmartin

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There is no New Cross Stations group. There is however a 7 minute walking interchange "Fixed Link" in the data between the two stations. It's a bit of a grey area whether journeys can utilise a Fixed Link at the very start or finish though - its certainly not something I'd want try.
 
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